2025 VISION

The Angola Strategy 2025 sets out as strategic objective the harmonious development of the national territory through a balanced spatial distribution of economic and social activities.

Investments in the electricity sector have inevitably a territorial impact. This chapter presents the Atlas of the expected future infrastructure for the sector under the scope of the Angola Energy 2025 vision. The Atlas allows us to understand in greater detail the territorial dimension of the vision and the possible impact in each Province, Municipality or Commune - which will be different depending on the type of investment:

ENERGY PRODUCTIONS INVESTMENTS TERRITORIAL IMPACT

At generation level, the construction of plants, in particular hydropower, implies the mobilization of hundreds of jobs for several years with very positive impact in terms of the direct and indirect employment generated. The hydropower plants with regularization - like Laúca and Cafula - are the ones that bring greater contribution to the territory because in addition to the job creation, they act as strategic water reserves with potential for human consumption, agriculture, tourism and fire fighting.

The construction involves, in many cases, the construction of site access infrastructures that will benefit the region and the plant is also a starting point for the electrification of the surrounding territory. New renewables, by focusing on smaller projects, allow a greater dispersion of investment and benefits along the territory.

After the construction, projects’ operation and maintenance allows to maintain some economic activity in the region. Biomass Power Plants are considered as priorities at economic impact on operation and maintenance level once the fuel has to be collected through forest or farm activities with impact on employment and improving economic rationality associated with the creation of new agro-forestry lines.

TRANSPORT INVESTMENT TERRITORAL IMPACT

Regarding transport the impact on the territory is mainly caused by the construction of transmission lines and substations. The impact of the construction of these lines in the territory is limited to some benefits in access and roads since the construction has no stable presence in one place. Also close-by populations cannot benefit from the energy at very high voltage.

Substations have greater impact due to a more concentrated construction in one site, because they constitute electrification expansion points and, in many cases, requires permanent staff for operation and maintenance.

DISTRIBUTION INVESTMENTS TERRITORIAL IMPACT

The existence of electrical grid is, by itself, a source of development. The inhabitants of an electrified village have access to basic services important for their well-being and human development: lighting, communication and access to information, food cooking and storage, among others.
Additionally, the existence of electricity will increase the productivity of traditional tasks and foster the emergence of small industries and productive uses with benefits in trade between villages.

The Atlas identifies not only the settlements that will be connected to the national grid, as well as the anticipated isolated systems and the “solar villages” to install in the territory. The operation and maintenance of a distribution network, a small network based on renewable energy or an isolated
system, can also create jobs. However, more important than the employment generated is the ability to maintain these facilities in operation, essential for the development of the benefited regions.